The vocal ensemble Jubilate Deo was formed in 1983 during a general assembly of the “Joyeuse Lumière” youth movement. The group is made up of Christian singers who wish to express their faith through vocal performance. They perform at the Saint Gervais Church in Paris every Tuesday night.
The singers of Jubilate Deo are for the most part amateurs, but they have a few trained vocalists, like Sophia Obregon, who is featured in this recording. It takes a strong, practiced voice to sing Duruflé and Obregon does not disappoint. This mezzo soprano’s tone is perfectly suited to the somber melodic lines of this setting of “Pie Jesu.”
Duruflé was a 20th-century composer who was organ master at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Church, as well as holding the position of music director at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. He composed many works for the organ and chorus, but his most famous piece is his requiem, which he took six years to complete. His compositions reflect his “organ-ic” roots, with long harmonized melodic lines.
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